Run(away series)
by Nyoom-Stories
Summary: ("unofficial" continuation of my other story, "Run"; contains fan characters) After leaving Bygone Island, Sonic searches for a new home and comes across a nice town.
1. Chapter 1 - Meeting Friends

Sonic gave a soft sigh of relief, looking back at the ocean as he stopped running. It was more than worth it, but running over the water like that had made him tense. Now, he could at least be free from all of the craziness.

If he had pants, he would've shoved his hands into the pockets as he walked away. Still, a small proud smile was on his face. He'd run away; he'd made it, and now no one could come after him.

Honestly, he had no clue where he was going, but it was almost exciting. The new sights were particularly nice and he wondered if maybe he should consider exploring in the future.

After a while of aimless wandering (honestly, he'd lost track of time), he suddenly stopped, gazing upon the town before him. He'd been so used to the quiet village, that seeing all the buildings before him was a little overwhelming. Still, he wasn't gonna show his surprise, and pat down his quills to ensure he didn't look like a total mess before strolling in.

Instantly, he noticed a change from the village. A little girl - he didn't even know her - smiled at him, probably having seen his frown. He mentally paused, surprised by the gesture, then smiled back, causing the girl to giggle and wave at him.

A few others he passed waved at him too, sometimes even saying a friendly, "Hello!"

He was shocked, but in the best way, waving back. "Hey~"

He almost blushed, having never really received such kindness from so many people at once. The villagers greeted him so rarely that he'd just become numb to it, but thinking back… yeah, this was great to get.

"Jul Jul Rocket, coming through!"

Sonic's ears perked at the shouting, and a small hamster boy suddenly dashed through a few mobians, probably not looking where he was going as he bumped into Sonic, though he was so small that there wasn't nearly enough force behind it to knock the hedgehog over. "O-oh, sorry, mister!"

'Sorry'? Heh, Sonic forgot that such a word even existed. "Don't worry about it, kiddo. We can't all be awesome rockets." He smirked and sped around in a circle for a moment.

"Whoa, you're fast!" the boy exclaimed, eyes practically sparkling.

"Correction: the fast _est,"_ Sonic said in response, puffing out his chest with pride.

The boy grinned happily, then turned as someone made their way towards him; a purple hedgehog girl, probably a little younger than Sonic.

"Jul, hehe, you've gotta be careful. You know you can swerve around crowds easier than I can," she said, picking him up with a small giggle.

He smiled weakly. "Sorry, Mama." He pressed his forehead against her, making a small growling noise. She giggled, doing the same in response.

She then took notice of Sonic. "O-oh, hello. I'm sorry, did he run into you?"

Geez, two 'sorry's in one day? That was a new record. Sonic smiled.

"Yeah, but it's no big deal. This hedgehog's like a brick wall anyway~"

"Is that right?" she asked, amused. "Maybe I should make you pay for Jul's medical bills then. He probably broke a few bones running into you."

"Wha?" Sonic chuckled; it was rare to see someone play along with him. "That's rude. Is this how ya treat the new guy?"

"Ah, you're new here?" she asked curiously. "I _knew_ I'd never seen your face before. Are you a traveler?"

Sonic's expression faltered slightly. "Mm… I guess?" He crossed his arms. "I'm just tryin' to find a new place to call home."

"I see…" Her smile lessened, noticing that maybe she'd asked too much. "Well, as an apology for my little boy running into you, can I maybe get you something to eat?"

Sonic's stomach growled immediately; he'd eaten all his snacks on the way there, so a meal sounded really good right then. "Heh, sure!" He followed her as she made her way down the street. "Name's Sonic, by the way; Sonic the Hedgehog. Coolest hedgehog you'll ever meet~"

She laughed lightly at that, surprising him; people usually rolled their eyes when he said stuff like that.

"Like a sonic boom, right? How _utterly_ creative," she joked.

"And I guess you have somethin' better?" he asked, playing along.

"Fair enough. I'm Starru, and this little guy here is my adopted son, Jul." She ruffled the small boy's fur, making him break into little giggles.

"Yeah, see? Starru doesn't mean anything~"

Jul chimed in. "And you're Sonic 'cause you're so fast, right?"

"Only the fastest thing alive... but I'm faster than all things not alive too," he replied with a cocky smirk.

"Oh? You'll have to show me sometime!" Starru said. "But let's focus on getting something in your stomach first; that's my main concern."

Sonic was surprised again. Mobians waving, and a mobian being _concerned_ about him? It was almost too much; someone call a doctor, he must just be in a coma dream!

Starru led him to a small cafe, and Sonic was immediately taken by the atmosphere. It felt nothing like Meh Burger.

Starru then pointed up at the menu. "Anything suit your fancy?"

He placed a hand on his chin, looking over it. "Hmm… surprise me."

She giggled. "If you say so. Just find us a table if you'd please." She went off with Jul to talk to a lady standing at the counter.

Sonic nodded despite them being turned away from him, then looked around, eyeing a booth not too far off. He sat down on it, finally allowing his muscles to relax; he'd been on his feet for far too long, even for him. The village had always been so primitive and strange… so this was refreshing.

He took a breath, staring down at his hands as he rested them on the table. His sports tape was a little wet and dirty; he imagined he himself didn't look much better. Still, he'd find a place of his own and get a really hot bath; that was his goal for the moment.

Starru returned to him after a few minutes, carrying two trays. She set one down in front of him, and set the other down for herself. Sonic eyed the classic hamburger and fries that had been set in front of him. _Definitely_ better than Meh Burger.

He picked up the burger, but stopped himself. Ugh, it _looked_ better, but it still didn't feel right; it was just a reminder of how things were like back in the village, which he never wanted to think about again.

"Something wrong?" Starru asked, noticing his uneasiness.

He jerked his head over to her. "Huh? Ahh, no…" He set the burger down, sliding his tray away. "Just makes me think of my old home."

"Ah…" She paused, then gave him a small smile, switching their trays around. "Here, you can have my spaghetti if you like?"

"Y'sure?"

She nodded happily. "Yeah. Whatever makes you feel comfortable." She picked up his burger and started eating, not seeming to mind the sudden change in meals.

He relaxed again, eating the spaghetti that had been put out in front of him. A better and tasty choice, which he was grateful for.

"…Do you want to talk about it?"

He glanced back up at Starru again. "Hm?"

"You seemed troubled…"

Jul nodded his head in agreement, making Sonic chuckle softly. Was he _that_ obvious?

"Eh, it's no big deal." Even though he said that, his tone was somber. "I was just sick of everyone ignorin' all the stuff I did."

"Oh?" Starru asked, frowning.

He put on a proud face so not to seem discouraged. "Well, yeah! I mean, a hero's gotta get some recognition every now and then, right?" He shrugged. "Then ya get zip and everything just…" He sighed, slumping on the table. "…falls apart."

"A hero?" Jul asked, lighting up. "So you were like a superhero?"

Sonic blinked, then grinned. "Heh, yeah~ Like a superhero!"

"Oh, oh! Can you show me all your cool superpowers sometime?"

"Guess so~" Sonic reached into his little bag that he'd brought from his old shack, slipping on a pair of sunglasses. "Besides my power of super coolness, y'mean~?"

Starru smirked. " _And_ super modesty!" She made a gesture with her hand. "It's just radiating off of you~"

"What can I say? I've got a little bit of everything," Sonic told her, initiating another fit of giggles from Starru and Jul. He couldn't help smiling, though he didn't do it often. They actually laughed at his teasing? Was everyone here so nice? He could certainly get used to it, and maybe then he wouldn't have to constantly boast about himself.

"…What's that face for~?"

"Hm?" Sonic blinked obliviously. "What face?"

Starru smiled softly. "I can't quite explain it. You just look… happier?"

Sonic stared at his reflection in the glass window, noticing his smile. It was true, he didn't get truly happy that often; back at the village, he was so not used to it that it almost hurt to smile. It was almost weird to see himself wearing such a bold one now.

"Heh, guess I am, a little…" He took a sip of water.

"Does that mean you're liking it here?" Starru asked.

Jul grinned. "I bet the town'd love t'have a super cool fast hedgehog living here!"

Starru placed a hand on his head. "Slow down, little one. He just got here a little while ago; it's a bit soon to ask about staying."

"…Nah, I think he's onto somethin'," Sonic argued.

"Ah, you mean…?"

"This place isn't half bad; I'd have to scope it out a little more, but…" He smiled fondly, taking a relaxed sip of his water. "I think I'd really like it here. I'd just have to find a place to stay for a while 'til I make a choice."

"Oh, that's easy! If you don't mind the idea of it, you can stay with Jul and I," Starru offered.

Jul nodded his head. "Yeah, please stay!"

Sonic grinned. "Well, when y'put it that way, how can I say 'no'?"

He glanced once more at his reflection. Maybe this whole world wasn't so bad; maybe it was just the island that was the way it was.

Either way, he had a good feeling that he was home, where he'd wanted to be for so long.


	2. Chapter 2 - Unwelcome Visitor

"So it's cool if I stay here?" Sonic asked as he walked into Starru's house.

"Of course! Make yourself at home!" she replied, simultaneously trying to calm down an excited Jul.

Sonic nodded, talking a look around the room. It was an extremely modest house, but clean and certainly livable. He smiled slightly, closing the door behind him. It wasn't often that he was invited into someone's home, especially one that wasn't just a plain old hut. The air wasn't like home for sure, but it still smelled nice and it was probably for the best anyway.

"Already done," he told her, setting his bag of remaining things on the counter.

"Oh? That was fast," Starru said with a small smile.

Sonic shrugged. "That's how I do everything."

She giggled. "I imagine. I just hope this is at least as nice as your old home."

"You kidding? My old place didn't even have a _door–_ " He stopped himself, some unpleasant memories surfacing.

Starru looked over at him to crack a joke, but frowned, noticing that Sonic seemed off in his own thoughts.

By the time he had drawn his gaze back to her, she was close, almost in his face.

"Okay, what's up?"

He avoided her eyes, scratching the side of his head. "Just remembered some stuff. No big deal."

"Something bad I assume?"

He didn't give her an answer, but she immediately backed away. "Don't worry, I won't pry."

He raised a brow. "Really?"

"Yeah, not really my style. Besides, you just got here and I wouldn't want to make you vent to someone you barely know."

He smiled, feeling suddenly eased. "Thanks."

She gave him a smile and walked off to the living room, leaving Sonic feeling slightly awkward. He was admittedly a little out of place in a normal house, but he didn't really want to change his look or anything.

He approached the nearest couch, taking a seat as he watched Jul set up a game console. Feeling eyes on him, the hamster glanced over. "Do you like video games, mister Sonic?"

He blinked, not expecting to be addressed, but shrugged. "Yeah, I've played a few. Didn't bring any with me though."

"That's okay! We've got a lot here," Jul assured as he started excitedly shuffling through his games, looking for something that Sonic could play with him.

Sonic, having little knowledge of what game was what, trusted Jul's instincts and leaned back, trying to relax. He turned his head, searching for Starru, but found her staring out the window, long ears perked up.

"Hey," Sonic called out, hoping to get her attention.

One of her ears flickered. "Do you hear that?"

Sonic opened his mouth to answer, but didn't know what she meant. He got up and flicked his ears up, trying to discern what sound she was hearing.

After a few moments of listening, he heard it; the sound of something big, heavy, and metal hitting the ground.

Then he realized that he recognized the footsteps, his cheerful disposition fading as he sighed. "Really?"

"What's wrong?" Starru questioned.

Sonic raised a hand, then immediately went for the door. "Sit tight. I've got this."

* * *

"Have you seen this hedgehog?" Eggman asked a confused civilian, pointing to the picture that his giant robot held. "He's annoying, fast, and irritatingly persistent."

"You left out "tired of seeing your ugly mug", Eggface!" Sonic interjected, walking up to him.

"Ah, Sonic! _There_ you are!" Eggman exclaimed. He frowned however and pulled a mug of coffee out from his Egg Mobile. "And I'll have you know that this mug has been doing a _wonderful_ job at keeping me awake on my quest to find you!"

 _Looks to me like_ you're _the persistent one._

"What do you want?" Sonic asked, cutting straight to the point, not in the mood for Eggman's games. "Don't you have an island to destroy or something?"

"Yeah, _about that._ " Eggman pulled out a calendar and pointed to the current date. "It just so happened that _I_ came at my usual time to do my typical terrorizing, only to realize that _you_ hadn't arrived at the appointed time."

"Plans changed," Starru interrupted, standing next to Sonic. "Maybe you didn't get the memo?"

Sonic jumped slightly, looking over at her. "I thought I told you to sit tight!" He gestured to Eggman's robot. "Do you not _see_ the massive potentially destruction-causing robot?"

"I do, but if this guy thinks he can walk into _this_ town and mess with you, he's got another thing coming."

"It's too dangerous," Sonic told her. "Go back inside." He definitely didn't want another mobian getting hurt while he was on the job, never mind the repercussions of when it happened last time.

Starru smirked, flicking Sonic's nose. "How funny; that sounds exactly like what's _not_ going to happen!"

He lightly grabbed at his nose, partially wanting to berate her, but he couldn't help smiling.

He turned his attention back to Eggman. "What she said; I'm not defending that village anymore."

"What?!" Eggman was clearly surprised by that; though maybe not completely, as Sonic imagined he'd at least suspected it.

Starru stepped between the two. "Look, we can continue this conversation AFTER you take your giant robot and flying machine out of town, okay? I'll even invite you in for tea if you want, but you need to get your potential destruction away from here."

Eggman gave a hard stare at Starru, not liking being bossed around, but secretly appreciating her bluntness. Plus, Sonic was there and would probably decimate his robot in a second if he said ''no''.

"…Do you have chamomile?"

" _Evil_ chamomile," Starru corrected with a smirk.

* * *

"Evil chamomile is actually a thing?" Sonic asked incredulously, sitting at the table in Starru's house while Eggman sipped his own cup of tea silently.

"Oh yeah, it comes in those little multi-packs; Jul likes to drink it when he wants to play supervillain," Starru explained. As if on cue, Jul ran up to her with a towel-cape flaring behind him. She pointed her finger at him like a gun, making a few "pew pew" sounds, causing Jul to fall over dramatically on the floor.

Eggman hummed lowly to himself. "So that's how it is then, huh?" he asked, having already been explained the situation.

Sonic returned his attention to Eggman and nodded. "I'm not going back."

"I didn't think you were so bold," Eggman mused. "And I'm free to do as I please?"

Sonic sighed. "I'm not going to be around to stop you anymore. _They_ might, but I'm not."

Eggman took a moment to respond. Starru smiled, leaning on the table. "Are you going to miss Sonic always stopping you?"

"Oh, _please._ It will be a _delight_ not to have this blue thorn in my side!"

Eggman quickly finished his tea, then got up and prepared to leave, though hesitated as he got to the door.

Sonic became wary, then went over to him as Starru took Jul off to the living room.

" _Eggman,"_ his voice was direct.

As the doctor turned to him, Sonic pulled him down to his level, gaze turning cold.

"If you're thinking of moving to mess up this town instead, you've got another thing coming, got it? I don't have any power in saving that old village anymore, but if you ever feel like coming _here_ to screw this place up too, I'm not going to wait around and do nothing. You're _going_ to _regret it._ "

Sonic released him, taking a breath as Eggman quietly left the house. He wasn't a fan of being so aggressive, but _man,_ did it feel good this time. This town was now under _his_ protection, and he could say that with a smile.

 _They_ were under his protection too.

He turned to Starru and Jul, smiling a bit. Starru felt his gaze and looked over, waving at him.

He waved back, moving back to the couch and sitting down, sighing in relief. The weight of everything was crashing down on him, but not in a bad way.

… _Still._

He looked back at the door, a bit of unease in his eyes.

"Sonic?" Starru called, offering to listen.

"Hm…?" Sonic paused, then stared down at the floor. "…You think they'll really be all right? If something happens…"

Her hands gripped his shoulders. "It wouldn't be your fault. They had their chance to respect you, but they didn't take it."

She shifted over to Jul and sat on the floor, pulling him into her lap with a tight hug. "Protecting someone doesn't just mean physically, right?" She smiled at him. "You deserve to be protected too."

Sonic's heart skipped a beat; he'd never heard that from anyone before. He felt vulnerable, having his emotions on full display, but there was a sense of comfort too; he knew she wouldn't mock him for them.

He stared at her for a long moment, having no clue how to respond, eventually opting for a smile.

"…Yeah. Thanks, Star."


	3. Chapter 3 - Moonlit Fears

Sonic couldn't remember exactly where he was, but he found that he couldn't move. A full-body cast? Looking around, the room was lined with pictures of himself, giving him a sense of deja vu and dread. Then, a rather stout tapir walked in, smirking at him with malicion.

It hit him. He realized where he was! His first instinct was to look for his friends, but they were nowhere to be found.

He tried to move more, just barely managing to break the cast, but he was grabbed and forced to the ground before he could speed away.

Just as his breath was taken away, he was somewhere else; on a lake that was iced over. And... Tails? The fox was sitting across from him, a cocky smile on his face.

He heard something break behind him, looking to see that the ice there was starting to crack. He immediately tried to get away, but a plate of ice underneath him tilted. He lost his balance, trying desperately to grab for something, anything!

Alas, he found nothing, and hit the cold water below.

He had shut his eyes from the impact, but now felt a weight on his chest. Daring to open one of his eyes, he saw rocks covering his body, but that was the least of his concerns; he couldn't breathe!

He squirmed helplessly, trying to get the rocks off of him, but his attempts were failing. He gasped for air, but only found water.

He saw his friends in the distance and tried to call out for them, getting the expected reaction; they couldn't hear him. Still, even if they could, they wouldn't make it in time.

He didn't want to die here!

His heart was racing, his mouth constantly pleading for some semblance of air. The rocks felt heavier against him as his strength depleted, but he wouldn't give up! He hadn't before, and he wouldn't now!

Then, out of the blue water, he saw something purple form, walking towards him. He squinted, attempting to make out the shape. The figure frowned with concerned, putting their hands on his shoulders.

"Sonic?"

That voice; he knew it well by this point.

The face of the once-stranger took shape; Starru.

"Sonic, please, wake up!"

The scenery around him vanished as he jolted awake, sitting up immediately. His head collided with something, but despite the pain, he was out of the nightmare.

He panted softly, feeling where his head was now hurting; immediately, he could tell he'd been sweating.

He looked ahead, seeing Starru crouched over slightly, holding her own head. It didn't take him long to figure it out.

"O-oh, geez, sorry..." he said, obviously feeling bad.

"I-it's okay." Starru breathed for a moment, then met his gaze. "I was more worried about _you._ I just came down to get a drink and found you tossing and turning like you were on fire or something!"

He let out a small sound of acknowledgement, not wanting to talk about it. He took off his blanket, then pushed himself into a stand and walked off to the kitchen. He confirmed to himself that he wasn't on the island any more. He was here, with Starru and Jul. He'd lived here for a while now and slept on the couch. He'd just been dreaming of being back at his old home, that's all.

His elbows met with the counter as he leaned against it. He might not've been at his old home anymore, but still, the memories ached. That nightmare; it was all stuff that seemed to happen to him one right after another. What a terrible time.

He went to make himself a drink, but Starru was already offering him a glass of water that was probably going to be her own drink before she had seen him tossing and turning.

He said nothing, but nodded in appreciation, reaching out for it. His hand was visibly shaky, though he managed to grab it and take a drink. He felt pathetic, and yet Starru looked at him with no sense that she thought of him that way too. She only looked on with a concerned smile, watching him without judgement.

"Are you all right?" she finally asked; Sonic had been anticipating it. Not that he would've insisted she ask if she hadn't, but he'd grown to know her over the time he'd been living here. She cared about him, and he appreciated it even if he'd never say so.

She then leaned against the counter with him, sighing softly. "I won't make you say anything. It's just... you look like a wreck."

She had said it lovingly, he was sure, but he toyed with her anyway. "Gee, thanks."

She tried to make a face at him, but the smile was impossible to miss. She reached over, putting a few strands of his fur back into place. "I mean that you look like a lovable wreck, don't worry."

He chuckled, taking another sip of his drink. "Thanks. Anyway, it's just... stuff from when I was back at my old home."

"That wasn't a home. That was a prison," she stated firmly, but with a smile. She made another drink for herself and continued, "If it wasn't, you wouldn't have felt the need to escape."

"Yeah, I know." He sighed. "I was just... used to it for so long."

"I understand," she said softly. "I mean, I can't relate to you; I don't know exactly how you felt, but I can get that it's hard to let all that stuff go."

He appreciated her attempt, nodding his head. "I just wish I'd left sooner. Didn't know there was more for me anywhere else."

"No one blames you for that," Starru assured. "I mean, we all have our weaknesses. I can be reckless, blunt, and too overenthusiastic. I've made friends here in the village, but I think some people find me to be too much to handle."

She smiled. "Anyway, I just hope you're enjoying being here as much as we enjoy having you. Things are a lot brighter here with you around, you know?" she asked.

He blinked, not expecting her to say that. "Uh, no, I don't know."

She giggled. "You should! It's _so_ nice having someone else around here, especially someone who can appreciate puns and the like."

He couldn't resist. "It'd be the ultimate _pun_ ishment if I didn't."

Starru brought a hand up to her mouth to conceal her laughter; Sonic figured that Jul was still sound asleep.

"It really would!" she exclaimed. She took another sip of water, staring into the cup for a moment before her face became a bit more fond. She looked over to the stairs that led up to Jul's room, her smile turning soft.

"...Plus, I imagine it's good for Jul to have another guy around, especially one as cool as you. It's great having someone like you here to fill in the gaps that I can't fill."

Sonic was significantly flattered, but tried not to show it. He didn't say it, but he was grateful for them too, filling in his own gaps that he couldn't fill himself. In a weird way, it was like... no, he wasn't ready to think like that.

"So!" Starru snapped him out of his thoughts. "Do you... want to watch a movie or something?"

 _This late?_ Sonic wondered to himself. Then he realized; Starru was trying to keep him from having to go back to bed.

He smiled, nodding as she brought him back to the couch. She picked out a movie at random, and they watched together, talking on occasion but not about anything serious.

When they finally did decide that it'd be fine for Sonic to return to bed, Starru gave him a light jab to his arm.

"G'night!"

Sonic jabbed her back, then watched as she stopped, partway up the stairs.

She turned her head to him, frowning. "By the way, if you ever do want to talk to someone about this stuff, you can always talk to me, okay?" To lighten the mood, she giggled and added, "Don't worry. Jul won't get jealous if you _hog_ my attention for a while."

The pun put a smile on his face. "Thanks. I'll remember that."

The two went back to their beds after that, and Sonic was able to sleep soundly.


	4. Chapter 4 - Drowning Again

Starru held Sonic's hands reassuringly, a sad smile on her face. "Are you sure you don't want to come in? I won't force you if you don't want to, but..."

Sonic sighed; not annoyed at her, but more at himself. "Yeah, I'm sure." He smiled. "You kids have fun."

She snorted at him, but smiled more genuinely, releasing his hands and running off to jump into the ocean, where Jul had already been swimming around impatiently.

Sonic watched them quietly, sitting down on the sand. It'd been a few months since he'd run away from what he once called 'home', and honestly, it was pretty great.

He even had a reputation now, and it wasn't a bad one! It started sometime during the first month of his stay; he'd stopped some apparently-famous robbers and everyone was suddenly cheering his name. Naturally, he soaked up the praise like a dry sponge desperate for water.

He continued helping around, and soon was considered the hero of the town. It felt amazing, to say the least, especially because he wasn't sharing the spotlight with anyone. No, this was all _him._

He hadn't massively bragged about himself in _weeks,_ which was so very rare of him back on his old island. He just didn't have to; everyone liked him, and he liked everyone.

Obviously, it wasn't perfect - nothing was - and not _exactly_ everyone was happy about him, because there'd always be those who didn't like him...

But he honestly couldn't care less. Even the town's praises weren't something he really needed. He appreciated it, sure, but it wasn't needed.

No, he had Starru and Jul now; two friends that actually cared about him and wanted him to be happy. They weren't perfect either, but even _he'd_ admit that he wasn't perfect himself if prodded enough.

Jul was like a little brother in a way. He was innocent, cheerful, and got excited about pretty much anything, but knew to leave Sonic alone if he just wanted to chill. Plus, Sonic found that was the best loser ever, massively stroking Sonic's ego whenever the blue hedgehog beat him.

He couldn't help chuckling at the memory.

Though, while he knew he liked Starru, his feelings on her weren't so easy to pinpoint. It was too complex.

He felt like part of the reason was because of his experience with girls; that is to say, he had little experience. Aside from Amy and Sticks, plus some mild flirting with cute girls like Perci and Staci, he didn't have a lot of contact with women. He assumed from what little knowledge he had that it wasn't much different than having a male friend, but that didn't sit quite right with him either.

She was definitely his friend, regardless of how else he felt about her, and the fact that she often called him her friend too helped with that.

But, how deep did it run?

He didn't really see her as a sister, he was sure of that. Jul as a little brother was easy, but it felt too weird considering Starru as a sister. Though, technically, if he imagined Jul as his little brother, and Starru was his adoptive mother, wouldn't that make _him_ her son too?

He laughed at the idea; as much as Jul called Starru "Mama", their relationship was more akin to a little brother and big sister anyway. It fit them age-wise too.

Still, that made it even more confusing, because he never saw her as a sister, so what exactly was it?

...A girlfriend, maybe?

His face hardened immediately at the idea, and he shook the thought off just as quickly. Even if he wouldn't admit it, he had _zero_ experience being in a romantic relationship with someone.

And the memory of Amy didn't really help with that idea either. There was a time, long ago, where he thought he liked her like that; romantically. Again, he had no experience, so he wasn't sure. He'd just found her attractive.

But that's all it was; an attraction. There wasn't anything else that drew him to her. Thus, he never acted on his feelings, and they faded with time.

Was that what he felt for Starru? Just attraction? He knew he found her face at least appealing, but that didn't mean he was in love with her or anything. Plus, both she and Amy were female hedgehogs; Sonic figured that visual attraction was a given since, in both cases, he and Amy and now he and Starru were the only hedgehogs around. Seemed logical.

It was stronger than what he felt for Amy, that's all he knew, though that could easily just be because Amy wasn't really a _friend_ to him; not anymore, at least.

He sighed to himself, rubbing his head. Despite all the time he'd spent there, the bad memories still lingered, like an itch he couldn't scratch.

And he _still_ hadn't talked it out. Starru had offered many times, and even Jul offered once or twice, but he turned them down each time, like he wasn't ready.

He honestly didn't think he was. To expose his insecurities like that... he didn't like the feeling.

He was Sonic T. Hedgehog, professional hero and all around cool guy. He didn't have flaws, he didn't have fears, and he _didn't_ get insecure.

That's what he told himself, but the longer time went on, the more he knew how much of a lie that was.

He was _scared;_ scared that they'd have a different opinion of him. What if he told them everything and they started feeling like how his old 'friends' felt?

No, they weren't like that, he was fairly sure. They'd been friends with him for months, knowing full well that he had some baggage, but they never ridiculed him for it.

Yet, still, he felt uneasy at the thought of talking it out.

He looked out to the ocean again, seeing Starru and Jul still swimming around and having a good time. The water was practically taunting him as it washed up and down the beach.

He wanted to join them...

He swallowed his emotions, then pushed himself to his feet, walking forward. Starru and Jul turned towards him, giving him a smile and wave, which he returned after a moment.

Starru leaned on Jul a bit as she spoke, "You coming in? I was planning on joining you on the sand later if you never did."

"Uh..." Sonic felt his heart race a bit as he stared down into the water. Though hesitating, he nodded. "Yeah."

He'd done this before, once; back on his old island. Unfortunately, it wasn't a pleasant experience.

He walked forward, the ocean seeming to reach towards him as it washed over the sand. His nerves started biting at him, as if this ocean was some sort of monster.

 _"I'm glad you're not the least bit concerned about the millions of tons of water all around you."_

He started to sweat at Eggman's voice ringing in his head, but continued walking forward, trying to deny his nervousness.

 _"Yup! No oxygen down here! Not even a bubble! Nothin' but water in every direction."_

He felt like the rocks from all that time ago were weighing him down again, making him sick to his stomach. It felt like the instant he touched the water, he'd be dragged to the bottom.

No, that wouldn't happen. Starru and Jul were here. Eggman wasn't around.

Yet, the voice in his head got louder, only now, he was seeing images too.

Images of his old friends, their disapproving faces as he refused to swim digging into his soul.

The water seemed to react, Sonic seeing the water more literally reaching out to him, with pairs of arms not unlike his old friends' arms.

His panic spiked.

He gasped sharply before it could touch him, backing away and falling over. He was panting, looking fearfully into the water as his delusions faded away.

He blinked, his pupils slowly returning to their normal size as he realized the false visions. He felt like vomiting.

A soft hand registered its touch along his cheek, forcing his vision back into focus. Starru had climbed out of the water, looking at him with concern.

 _Great,_ now he looked like an even bigger fool than if he'd just let all his emotions out on the very first day. It felt like he'd been letting her do all the comforting all these months, and he hadn't done anything in return.

He reached up, placing his own hand over the one touching his cheek, letting her know wordlessly that he was okay.

She smiled sadly. "Sonic... let's talk, okay?"

The opportunity to back out wasn't as apparent in her voice as it was a long time ago. It was there, but this time, he didn't want to take it.

"...Yeah. Y-yeah, let's talk."

Jul came to their side, and the three walked home.

Once they'd get there, Sonic swore to himself that he'd tell her everything.


	5. Chapter 5 - Weight Lifted

Sonic was sitting quietly on the recliner, hands slightly gripping the front of the seat as his mind wandered. He was going to do as promised, and talk it out.

Where would he start? What would he say? How would he convey it all when he never had before? He didn't know.

The sound of Starru brewing tea brought him a slight sense of comfort, and he could vaguely hear Jul playing up in his room. It was a pleasant reminder that he wasn't on Bygone Island anymore, something he needed from time to time.

"Here."

He looked up as the scent of tea hit his nose. Starru was smiling at him, holding out a teacup for him.

He took it graciously, immediately taking a sip to calm his nerves.

He'd do it. For one day, he'd be willingly vulnerable.

Starru had brought a wooden chair into the room and sat down on it, looking at him expectantly. "You wanna know something, Sonic?"

Sonic gave her a slight smirk. Wasn't _he_ supposed to be the one telling her everything? "Sure. What's up, Star?"

"...I'm afraid of sharp objects." She'd said it quickly, like trying to get it out before any potential embarrassments could stop her.

Sonic blinked, having not known such a thing about her. "You are?"

"Yeah. That's why we don't have any sharp knives in the house. I know I never told you, but... now you know. I'm not really sure what caused it, but seeing sharp weaponry just makes me uneasy."

It took him a minute to realize why she was telling him this; she was trying to ease him, showing that she had fears too.

It helped, as he could feel his muscles relax. "Guess you're always keeping a sharp look out for them then, huh?"

They shared a brief laugh, easing Sonic further.

Still, he told himself he shouldn't delay. "So, uh, where do you want me to start?"

She smiled. "At the beginning would be nice."

He made a face at her, but couldn't help smiling.

He ran his hand along his muzzle, trying to summon memories.

And, slowly but surely, he started to talk about them.

He couldn't actually remember how long he'd been friends with them; only that he'd been alone for most of his life. His past was vague, but he recalled specifically that he was a loner for a long while until he met them. Even then, he still preferred to do things on his own until realizing that friends made things a lot easier at times.

He supposed that his first sign was when they berated him for locking them in Lyric's temple. There were so many robots, and even Metal Sonic; all he'd wanted to do was protect them, but they got upset at his lack of faith. He granted that there was a chance they could've done it, but he knew it was a risk, and a risk he hadn't wanted to take.

Things seemed fine after that though. Fine for a long time, actually. His second memory took place _months_ after the previous experience.

Eggman had quit villainy, opting to watch TV and lounge around in his pajamas. Sonic had thought it was fine at first, but quickly became bored and went to his friends for attention. He admitted that he didn't make a good impression on them, but now that his mind was clear, he recalled that they hadn't even given him a chance. It was like they'd rather re-motivate Eggman than spend time with him to keep him occupied.

And it just got worse from there. The line between friend and foe became so blurred that he was willing to go with _Eggman_ to help him with his problems, as his friends began to find him annoying for things he couldn't help. The mental image of them taking a photo of themselves with him tied to a tree unable to participate was still burned into his mind.

Starru listened intently the whole time, nodding her head occasionally to show that she was listening. Sonic deeply appreciated it, and it was the first time in so long that he could recall someone paying so much attention to him.

The stories continued, and it wasn't just his friends who thought little of him anymore. It was the _island._ The whole island slowly became a deep seed of hatred and distrust, mocking him for the smallest things. He could only partially recall a good friend in Earl, but the guy had moved away and he had gotten thrown right back to square one. Even those who seemed good for him at first turned their back on him eventually.

The villagers getting on his case for anything and everything.

Replacing him the instant someone else came along.

Caring about someone's false heroics over his real ones.

His friends leaving him in a cage with _Eggman_ for hours on end in a dry canyon.

The list went on for what felt like forever, but Sonic couldn't stop talking, because part of him knew he needed this, and the other part was just worried about what Starru would finally say when he stopped.

And, if he was honest, it wasn't just Starru who was learning things about him as he talked; no, he learned things about himself too.

Every time these bad things would happen, he now remembered a little voice in his head, asking him if he should leave. He'd shut it down repeatedly without a thought.

It was pathetic, now that he thought about it, but he _needed_ that companionship. He had been alone all his life, and when he finally thought he had friends, he didn't want to let it go. To have an island that treated him like garbage was bad, but the idea of leaving and being alone forever terrified him too.

And what if he did run? How would he have felt if he'd run into another village who treated him the same way? _Horrible,_ that's how. The only reason he finally _did_ run is because he'd been so sick of it all, and the need to flee outweighed his fears.

He'd been willing to die alone than be with those who wouldn't have cared if he _did_ die.

It was like the universe itself had hated him, constantly throwing obstacles in his way no matter what he did, but he was too busy boosting his own ego to realize how bad it was for him. Friendship seemed like such a gift back then, and he meant it when he said that things were indeed fine at first, but they just progressed, getting worse and worse.

And the timespans between bad things happening got less and less as he kept talking. It went from every few months to every month. Every month to every couple weeks. Every couple weeks to every week.

Every week to _every few days,_ and at that point, he just couldn't take it anymore.

The hero Sonic the Hedgehog, with supposedly the biggest ego in the world, had loudly called himself an idiot the day he figured it out. He'd kicked his chair across the room and nearly broken the wall as the reality of the situation got to him.

He tried so desperately to continue, to keep talking to Starru, but by the time he'd gotten to the part about his friends trying to shove him into the water without a care about how he felt, he was crying.

It'd taken so long, but he'd finally let it out. No deep sobs, or loud wailing, because that wasn't how he cried, but he still cried.

Honestly, he never knew _how_ he cried until now, as he hadn't let himself back in the day. He was quiet, tears of pent-up emotion from years of being pushed around leaking down his face. He'd long since finished his tea, and it'd been resting on the table beside him, which he was glad for because he would've otherwise had a teacup filled with salty tears. No one wanted that.

It took a moment, but he heard Starru shift from her seat. He looked up through his blurry vision, seeing her move towards him.

He was confused at first when, suddenly, he felt her against him, and he was pushed back somewhat as he felt her arms around him.

Their first hug.

She'd held his shoulders before and grasped his hands in her own, but this was their first hug.

She'd been saving it for a special occasion, and Sonic was happy for that.

How long had it been since he was hugged? He couldn't remember. He only knew that she was warm and inviting.

He breathed deeply, wrapping his arms around her as he tried to calm himself. She felt his returning embrace, and strengthened her own.

He didn't know how he could tell, but it was different from when she hugged Jul. When she hugged Jul, it was motherly and swift; she'd pull him into her arms so fast that Jul would need a second to process it before hugging her back. She'd usually exclaim something, or just laugh to make the hug loud in its own way.

This hug was slow and quiet. Sonic didn't doubt that it carried similar emotions to her hugs with Jul, but he couldn't place the emotions that weren't similar.

Friend? Platonic? Love? None of those things mattered to him right now. She was here, and she didn't think any less of him for telling her about his past; that was all that mattered to him.

He had very little left in his story, so he held her and continued, the bits and pieces of his memories on the island drifing out with a disinterested tone. The tears slowed, and he was able to speak without a shake in his voice. He couldn't see Starru's face, but he knew she was paying attention.

After what felt like an eternity, she spoke.

"And that's when you found us, right?"

He smiled at the memory. "Yeah, that's when I found you and Jul."

He felt her tighten her hold on him.

"Still, to think that you went through all that... it's awful."

"I guess... I just couldn't leave the village for so long, because I didn't know what would happen if I did." He faked a laugh. "Even that one day when I quit hero-ing, I went right back to it not even five minutes later."

"Because you cared so much...?"

Sonic grew silent, feeling pathetic at that. Starru must've known, as she immediately pulled away from him, hands moving to his face.

"I just think it's _amazing,_ Sonic! To think that they'd call you such awful things and treat you so badly, but you..."

She paused, and Sonic was surprised at the look in her eyes.

"You always helped, no matter what! They knocked you down and you got right back up, because you just cared so much!"

He scoffed. " _Too_ much."

"Sonic, they were _leeching_ off of you; they were draining you of what made you _you,_ yet you still found the strength to leave and get away from it all!"

He'd expected her to have a lower opinion of him by the time his story had ended, but he was shocked to find that the exact opposite was happening. She was staring at him with _admiration,_ so enamored by what he'd told her.

"And then, you start saving _our_ town too. You put all that stuff behind you and become a hero all over again. I just think that's... so _awesome._ "

He was blushing in embarrassment at that point, flustered by her high praise. He hadn't been expecting it, but he still welcomed it with open arms.

He managed a chuckle, a bit of ego back in his tone. "Well, glad that someone finally sees it that way."

He didn't say it out loud, but even _he_ hadn't seen it that way until she said it.

Starru snorted, then let out a small laugh. "Good to see that you're feeling better."

She grew silent, then looked up at him, wanting to make sure. "You _are_ feeling better, right?"

Sonic nodded with confidence, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Yeah, never better."

She smiled warmly, then slowly got off of him, taking his empty teacup and putting her wooden chair away. Sonic took the time to lean back on the recliner, letting out a relieved breath.

It was over.

"Jul! I'm making chili dogs for dinner! Do you wanna help?"

There was a sudden sound of rapid little footsteps, followed by Jul rushing down the stairs and meeting Starru with a nod.

" _Yeah_ I do!"

Sonic watched from a distance as the two ran into the kitchen section of the large room, Jul climbing onto the counter to gather pots and pans in his little arms.

A few months ago, he wasn't able to admit it to himself, but now, it seemed to flow so naturally in his mind. It'd been so long since he used to have one that he couldn't even recall it, but a family had formed around him without him realizing it. It wasn't dysfunctional, wasn't stressed or skewed; it wasn't even massive, with a capacity of only three.

But that was the way he liked it. Him, Starru, and Jul. One small happy family.

And that's just what he was. _Happy._


End file.
